Pistol.



L. WOODS.

PISTOL. l

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1912.

11j/vif'. Patented Sept. 16, w13.

tisonnier@ WOODS, or sfr. LOUIS, MrssOUaI.

rrs'ron. A'

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. StG, i913.

Application filed November 4, 3.912. Serial No.' 729,401.

T0 all whom t may concern Be 1t known that l, LEONARD WOODS, citi- -zen ot the United States, residing at 364.4 -Botanical avenue, in the city o`St. Louis and tate of l'tissonri, have invented .certain new and useful Improvements in Pilstols, of which the' followinglis a specification. l

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in pistols, the peonliari'ties .Ot which will be hereinafter described and claimed. y'

The objectof my invention is to provide a )istol thatcan be carried in the vestnpocket lilc` watch, is as readily accessible, and appears like a watclnwhereby it may be prcsentedand tired at a highwayman while apparently merely obeying his command to hand over your watch and be quick about 7l v To this end my improvements have reference to a round, flattened casing and stem with adjacent projection, forming the stock, barrel and trigger, respectively, of a pistol; have reference -to a trigger adapted to be operated without suspicious movement ot' the finger; have reference to a barrel lining adapted to act as a shell retainer and extractor; and have reference to other points of detail hereinafter described and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings on which like reference letters indicate'corresponding pars, Figure l represents a pistol exemplitying my improvements, and indicating the `manner in which it is hold for use; Fig". 2,

a muzzle view ot the same; Fig. o an interior `View ot' the stock and a longitudinal section of the barrel and its lining; Fig. et a cross section on the line A A ot' Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 a detail of the barrel lining.

The letters B C designate the baclt and front respectively of a casing similar in size and shape to an ordinary watch case, provided with an overlapping lip D. to form a joint at the circumferential edge, and held in matching position by screws E passing through corresponding bosses F in the :trent and back respectively; the front isV provided with a crystal and di al face 01"' a watch representing preferably an open faced watch as shown in Fig. l, but may be of other ce- `On the-neck of the stem at the front side is a loop G to receive the snap hook of watch chain: Zlhe loop is at the front side so that the chain may not interfere with the rn which 1s y formed to represent the vgage with those of the barrel.

stem of a watch as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. @ne side of the casing, preferably the back, is provided with a central cylindrical barvrel H having screw threads at its Outer end, constituting the neck of the stem, which threads are engaged by matching threads on a lining for'said barrel which consists of a tube l having a'milled head at its Outer end corresponding tothe stem of a watch and adjacent tov said screw threads that en- Thistube lining is chambered `at its inner end as usual to receive a cartridge J to be inserted therein. The milled head constitutes the muzzle or' the pistol and the tube l is a 'close fit' within said barrel, and of such relative length that it presses the head ofthe cartr'idge iir'mly against the rear wall of the barrel in which is formed a tapered opening K into which enters the tapering point. L of the hammer M which is pivoted to a boss onthe back casing by ascrew N. A spring 0 engages a notch in the hub of said hammer, at the opposite side-ot the hub from the point L and -is lined in ay slot P of the back casing. This spring has a tendency to staighten out, and a stop pin Q, maintains said spring slightly bent upward as shown in Fig. 3, so that a backward movement of the hammer head will cause the spring to be bent upward in a reverse curve as indi fated by -dotted lines in Fig. 3. This form of spring is preferred on account of the increasing force with which it acts on the hammer as the spring comes nearer to its slightly bent position from that shown in dotted lines, but other forms may be employed. The actuating mechanism for said hammer consists ot a round rod R mounted in a groove parallel to said barrel preferably formed halt in the back casing and half in the front casing by matching projections S and T respectively, as shown in Figs. 3 and l. The projection T from the front extends from'the end of the barrel toward the stem as shown in Eig, 3, and forms a guide tor said trigger R adapted to slide therein when the. torefinger presses against the milled npwartl-'turned end ll which is normally located at the outer end or muzzle. lily reference to F l it will bessen that the forclinger easily assumes a position on the trigger cnd ll and the pressure slides the trigger backward to the dotted position and brings the foreingcr safely back of the muzzle.' Theinner end rhead slips from the trigger of the round trigger rod R has a squaretopped head wih a downward projection V adapted VLo engage the upper end of said hammer as shown in Fig. 3, and of such overlapping engagement that the sliding, backward action of the trigger will diminish such engagement until the hammer head V as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, whereupon the spring O, flexed by such backward action, will drive the .point L of the hammer against the cap of the cartridge which is firmly held in the barrel by the lining I as previously described Upon the flat top of the trigger head V is adapted to bear a spring W' having a downward tendency, and secured in a slot X of the back casing. This spring tends to maintain the head andhammer in proper engaging position as shown in Fig, 3, but allows the trigger rod R to be turned one quarter of a revolution by means of the end U, whereby the trigger may be drawn outward again and the head V will pass over the hammer head and he rotated downward in Jfront of the hammer again as shown in full lines. Referring to F ig. 2 it will be seen that the milled muzzle forming the stem of the apparent watch and the outer end of the -barrel are cut away at 2 to allow this quarter rotation of the trigger as above described. This actuative mechanism has the advantage of simplicity of parts and operation, but do not continemyseli' to the exact `form siown.

In the form shown, the re-loading of the pistol is performed whenv the trigger vis in its dotted position, therebyy allowing the rotation of the milled head to disengage the matching screw threads to withdraw the lining and shell without interfering with the trigger. After loading, the trigger is pulled outward to its operative position as above described.

It is evident from the above description that this pistol has the element oi safety from accidental discharge when the trigger head V is located behind the hammer head. It may therefore be safely carried inthe pocket during ,the day, as well as rendered safe from careless manipulation by others elsewhere. Furthermore when the trigger is set to its operati ve position it is not liable to receive sufficient pressure accidentally to discharge the cartridge. It is preferred in this application to present a single shot pistol of simple and yet effective construction A and design which will allow it to be presented and discharged at a ln ghwayman without hls being aware that such actionwill take place, and at such close range and with suchopportunity oi' aiming it that a single shot will suffice. ,f

VVhilcvthe pistol shown herein is a muzzle loader, I do not confine myself to this particular; also the barrel may be adapted to dispense with the herein described lining without departing from the spirit oi my inventio-n. v

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. An improved article oli manufacture consist-ing oi a pistol having a stock provided with a barrel hidden therein and provided with screw threads at its outer end, a lining for said barrel chamhered to receive a cartridge at its inner end having matching .screw threads nearl its outer end, and a milled head to effect screw engagement and O disengagement,,whereby a contained cartridge is firmly held at the inner end oi said barrel and its lining, and actuating trigger and hammer mechanism for exploding said cartridge.

2. A n improved pistol comprising a round edged, dislc'lilre stock having only a short stem-like barrel projecting from the stock, a trigger rod slidingly 'nigunted with its outer end directly adjacent to the muzzle of Said barrel with its end turned up. to :facilitate operating it by the forefinger while the thumb and other fingers embrace the edge of the stoet: substantially as indicated, and

operating mechanism adapted to be actuated by said trigger rod when pushed in by the orefinger, which is thereby brought safely back of the muzzle.

An improved pistol comprising a 'flattened, round edged disk-like stock provided with a short projecting 4barrel bearing the same relative proportion to thevstock as the stem and easing of a watch respectively, and without other projection than a trigger rod slidingly mounted in a groove in the outside ot said barrel with the linger end of said rod 'adjacent to the muzzle, and a loop adjacent to the muzzle adapted for attaclrv ment to a watch chain, to facilitate carrying safely in the pocket, removing it therefrom, and operating said trigger, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. A pistol comprising a stock, a barrel, a spring-actuated hammer, and a slidable spring-controlled rod mounted in guides, and/provided /iwith adown-turned end normally engaging the front of said hammer in operative position, but capable of partial rotation substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimonywhereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' .LEONARD WOODS.

'Vitnesses:

H. M. PLAISTED, 1N. F. STAHLrIUTI-r. 

